1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to tongue cleaning devices.
2. Background Information
Numerous types of tongue cleaning devices are known in the art. All have advantages and disadvantages. The art generally desires a tongue cleaning device that effectively cleans the plaque and debris from the tongue while being safe, easy to use, and effective.
One drawback with existing tongue cleaning devices is that the debris collected by the device will fall off of the device shortly after the device is removed from the tongue. Most home users clean their tongues over a bathroom sink and the debris retention problem does not bother them or stop them from using the devices. In other settings, the debris retention problem is of more concern. One such setting is a hospital where it is becoming more desirable to clean the tongues of bedridden patients in order to reduce the amount of bacteria of the patient's tongue. Those who use tongue cleaning devices in these situations desire a tongue cleaning device that will retain or remove the debris from the scraping wall of the tongue cleaning device so that the tongue cleaning device may be easily used on a patient who is on his back.
Another problem in the tongue cleaner art is the manufacture of the working edge for the tongue cleaner. A working edge cannot be too sharp because the edge will cut the tongue. On the other hand, the working edge cannot be too dull because the edge will not clean the tongue. The art thus desires tongue cleaning designs and methods for manufacturing tongue cleaning devices wherein the sharpness of the working edge can be controlled.
A further drawback with known tongue cleaning devices is the amount of tongue width that can be effectively cleaned by a single pass of the tongue cleaning device. The art desires a working edge shape and configuration that more effectively cleans the surface of the tongue.
The art also desires flexible tongue cleaning devices that flex when pressed down on the tongue to help prevent the user from pressing too hard against the tongue. To be useful, the handle must flex along the longitudinal axis of the handle. The art desires different handle and head configurations that provide for this flexing motion.